Screw fastening method and screw fastening device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10173305-B2
Application number	US-201715457334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2017
Priority date	Mar 24, 2016
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A screw fastening method includes reversely rotating a shaft part of a fastening tool in a direction of loosening one of an external thread and an internal thread, which is engaged with the shaft part, while one of the external thread in a non-screwed state and the internal thread in a non-screwed state, which is engaged with the shaft part, is pressed against the other thread, detecting collisions between thread ridges of the external thread and the internal thread using a sensor while the shaft part remains rotated reversely, determining whether or not a time interval between collisions detected by the sensor matches a theoretical cycle of collisions calculated from rotation speed of the shaft part, and fastening the external thread and the internal thread to each other by normally rotating the shaft part when it is determined that the time interval matches the theoretical cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A screw fastening method comprising:
reversely rotating a shaft part of a fastening tool in a direction of loosening one of an external thread and an internal thread, which is engaged with the shaft part, while one of the external thread in a non-screwed state and the internal thread in a non-screwed state, which is engaged with the shaft part, is pressed against the other thread;
detecting collisions between thread ridges of the external thread and the internal thread using a sensor while the shaft part remains rotated reversely;
determining whether or not a time interval between collisions detected by the sensor matches a theoretical cycle of collisions calculated from rotation speed of the shaft part; and
fastening the external thread and the internal thread to each other by normally rotating the shaft part when it is determined that the time interval matches the theoretical cycle.

2. The screw fastening method according to claim 1 wherein
the shaft part is rotated normally so as to fasten the external thread and the internal. thread to each other when it is determined that the time interval matches the theoretical. cycle for a plural number of times, which is decided in advance, with respect to a series of collisions detected by the sensor.

3. The screw fastening method according to claim 1 , wherein
the shaft part is rotated normally so as to fasten the external thread and the internal thread to each other when it is determined that the time interval of the collisions, which happen after a predetermined period of time passes since start of reverse rotation of the shaft part, matches the theoretical cycle.

4. The screw fastening method according to claim 1 , wherein
the collisions between the thread ridges of the external thread and the internal thread are detected by measuring vibration using the sensor.

5. The screw fastening method according to claim 4 , wherein,
when vibration measured by the sensor has vibration strength equal to or greater than predetermined vibration strength, the vibration is detected as the collision between the thread ridges of the external thread and the internal thread.

6. The screw fastening method according to claim 1 , wherein,
when a discrepancy between the time interval and the theoretical cycle is within a predetermined tolerance, it is determined that the time interval matches the theoretical cycle.

7. The screw fastening method according to claim 1 , wherein
the shaft part is rotated normally so as to fasten the external thread and the internal thread to each other only when it is determined that the time interval matches the theoretical cycle.

8. A screw fastening device comprising:
a shaft part that is engaged with an external thread or an internal thread and transmits rotational force;
a motor that is able to drive the shaft part to rotate normally and reversely;
a sensor configured to detect a collision between thread ridges the external thread and the internal thread, and
a control part configured to control the motor, wherein
the control part determines whether or not a time interval of collisions detected by the sensor matches a theoretical cycle of collisions, which is calculated from rotation speed of the shaft part, in a state where the shaft part, to which one of the external thread in a non-screwed state and the internal thread in a non-screwed state is engaged, is rotated reversely in a direction of loosening the thread engaged with the shaft part, and, when it is determined that the time interval matches the theoretical cycle, the control part controls the motor so that the shaft part is rotated normally to fasten the external thread and the internal thread to each other.

9. The screw fastening device according to claim 8 , wherein
the control part controls the motor so that the shaft part is rotated normally to fasten the external thread and the internal thread to each other when it is determined that the time interval matches the theoretical cycle for a predetermined plural number of times with respect to a series of collisions detected by the sensor.

10. The screw fastening device according to claim 8 wherein
the motor is controlled so that the shaft part is rotated normally so as to fasten the external thread and the internal thread to each other only when it is determined that the time interval matches the theoretical cycle.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Dai Ichi Dentsu Ltd

Inventors

• Matsuoka Jun
• Kanai Yasuaki

Classifications

• Y10T29/49778

  with aligning, guiding, or instruction · CPC title

• Y10T29/53061

  Responsive to work or work-related machine element · CPC title

• Y10T29/4978

  Assisting assembly or disassembly · CPC title

• Y10T29/49774

  by vibratory or oscillatory movement · CPC title

• Y10T29/5303

  Responsive to condition of work or product · CPC title